On the spur of the moment, we decided we wanted to go out to dinner this evening. I got on OpenTable and made a reservation at Mrs. K's Toll House in Silver Spring, someplace I had never been. The restaurant has been there since 1930 (as a restau ... more

On the spur of the moment, we decided we wanted to go out to dinner this evening. I got on OpenTable and made a reservation at Mrs. K's Toll House in Silver Spring, someplace I had never been. The restaurant has been there since 1930 (as a restaurant, it was a toll house in the early 1900's) and I don't know how I've not managed to go there at least once in the last 25 years. The house is lovely, and larger than one would think. (there is also a lovely patio and gardens that are used in the summer). We were shown to a very nice table and given the menus and wine list. And what a wine list, it is huge, abet expensive (but it is Montgomery County MD) but has wines in all ranges. There were 5 or 6 vintages of Ridge Monte Bello available (outside my price range unfortunately) as well as several pages of Bordeauxs and a 1979 Petrus, which did not have a price (but obviously well outside the price I was looking for) It was difficult choosing. After deciding that we would order a glass of Pinot Grigio for my wife to go with her fish, and a bottle of a red for the steaks my son and I were having, I settled on a 2001 Worthy Sophie's Cuvee, but the server came back and said they couldn't find it, but did I want the 2004. I declined and asked for the list again and ordered a 2003 Chateau la Nerthe CNdP. About 10 minutes later the server came back with two bottles in his hand and again said they could not find that vintage. He had called the owner and was told to offer us our choice, at the price of the la Nerthe. He then presented a 1999 Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Reserve and a 1999 Louis Latour Château Corton Grancey to choose from. I was sorely tempted to take the Mondavi, but knew my wife would much prefer a Pinot Noir (she does not like Cabernet) so I chose the Corton. It was fantastic, as only properly aged Burgundy can be. Lots of sweet ripe cherry, casis and plums with fine, well integrated tannins and a fairly long finish. Needless to say, we all loved it. Dinner was quite good too. I started with a grilled Mediterranean octopus salad, then had the New York strip steak served with a wild mushroom cognac cream sauce. For dessert a wonderful bread pudding with whiskey cream. My son started with a grilled portobello mushroom with roquefort cheese and a raspberry vinaigrette. It was followed by a 23 oz. cowboy steak (servered very rare, as requested) and for dessert a huge piece of absolutely fantastic cheesecake. My wife started with the shrimp and scallop ceviche, which unfortunately was fairly bland, needing more spice, but then had a wonderful blackened rockfish. For dessert she had a butterscotch sundae that she pronounced as wonderful. Coffee and espresso ended the meal. Service was fantastic, friendly, discrete, and efficient. When dinner was over, the manager gave my son and I a tour of the wine cellar (pretty cool, and huge, but overflowing with cases of wine since they just got a shipment, which might explain not being able to find things) and apologized for not having the wine we had first ordered. (Like I was going to complain, I got a wine that cost three times as much for the same price, and was fantastic to boot.) All in all, a very good meal, with the added bonus of getting a much better wine than I had originally ordered for a third of the wine list price. less

My wife, son, and I had lunch at the Tasting Room on a recent Saturday and were quite impressed. The appetizers were uniformly good, the country pate came with a fantastic rustic mustard that was to die for, the sauteed calimari was tender and served ... more

My wife, son, and I had lunch at the Tasting Room on a recent Saturday and were quite impressed. The appetizers were uniformly good, the country pate came with a fantastic rustic mustard that was to die for, the sauteed calimari was tender and served in a very tasty tomato sauce, and the salad that my wife had was perfectly dressed. For entrees my son had the power sandwich, a perfectly cooked filet on a potato roll. He asked for it rare and it came rare. I had the fish and chips. It was the finest fried fish I've had in a long time and the fries were fantastic as was the tartar sauce. My wife had the sauteed salmon in the chili orange sauce and said that she wished that every piece of salmon was so well prepared. For dessert I had the lemon Ricotta cheese cake, my son the mango cake, and my wife asked if she could have the triple espresso ice cream alone instead of with the brownie. All were fantastic, but the ice cream was killer. Service was friendly, efficient, and not at all obtrusive. It is a pretty room and we had a nice table at the windows but shaded enough to be comfortable. Everything was beautifuly plated and presented. The only complaint I have was that the wine list, which was fairly extensive and well priced, if nothing spectacular, did not have any vintage dates on it. I can understand no vintage dates on a website, but not on the actual wine list. We did end up with a very nice Pinot Grigio for $30 that went very well with the meal on a hot day. We will definitely go again the next time we are in Frederick. less

We have had lunch here a couple of times when visiting our son at Juniata. Nice draft beers on tap, friendly service and very fresh food. Good fries, very healthy sandwichs on the veggie side and a very nice Rubeun the last time I ate there. Hamburge ... more

We have had lunch here a couple of times when visiting our son at Juniata. Nice draft beers on tap, friendly service and very fresh food. Good fries, very healthy sandwichs on the veggie side and a very nice Rubeun the last time I ate there. Hamburger was better than some but did not wow me. Love the long old time style bar. less

Absolutely the worst meal I've had in years. My wife'ws crabcake, if you can call a filler cake a crabcake, I couldn't find any crab, was inedible. The BBQ tips were more BBQ sauce than steak, and the ribs were only passible. But Pinkie, ... more

Absolutely the worst meal I've had in years. My wife'ws crabcake, if you can call a filler cake a crabcake, I couldn't find any crab, was inedible. The BBQ tips were more BBQ sauce than steak, and the ribs were only passible. But Pinkie, our server was very nice and efficient. The salad bar was lacking, the soups were cold, and the dessert bar was pathetic, wilted fruits and soupy bread pudding. less

My son and I took my wife to dinner at Kinkead's for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Diner was wonderful. My wife started with the fried Ipswitch clams with the house made tartar sauce. They were excellent, a large portion, perfectly fried, ... more

My son and I took my wife to dinner at Kinkead's for her birthday a couple of weeks ago. Diner was wonderful. My wife started with the fried Ipswitch clams with the house made tartar sauce. They were excellent, a large portion, perfectly fried, with a very tasty tartar sauce. For her entree she had the mushroom and brik dough wraped Rockfish with mushroom raviolis, salsify, and baby green beans with Porcini vinagrette. She loved it. The ravioli was delish, and the rockfish was perfectly cooked, the wrapping flaky and light. The mushroom sauce was wonderful. My son and I started with a dozen raw oysters, 4 each of the Malaspina, Hood Canal, and Duck Island. They were all plump, fresh, and cold. Excellent. My son had the grilled whole shrimp in a saffron lobster consomme with crab, mussels, and basil. He loved the seafood, but thought the cosomme was a bit bland and uninteresting. For his entree he had the Chili rubbed grilled Mahi Mahi with sweet potato tamale, corn ragout, and Guacamole and Tomatillo salso on a green chile butter sauce. He ate it all quickly and was looking for bites of our dinners. I started with the signature appetizer, the wood grilled squid with creamy polenta, tomato fondue and Pesto. It was, as usual, out of this world. A huge portion of squid, perfectly grilled and covered with a delish Pesto, melt in your mouth tender. The polenta was creamy and rich and the tomato fondue the perfect counterpoint. For my entree I had the pepper seared rare tuna with flageolets, grilled protabello mushrooms and a Pinot Noir sauce. The tuna was perfectly seared, fresh and wonderfully rare. The pepper curst was wonderfully biting but not overpowering. The portabellos were meaty and tender and full of flavor. We all had desserts, three scoops of passion fruit sorbet for me, a vanilla rum mousse with a pina collata sorbet for my son, and a scoop each of passonfruit, rasberry, and mango sorbets for my wife. Dinner ended with coffee for us and an espresso for the boy. For wine we ordered a 2003 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chard from the Reserve list. At $97 I thought it fairly priced. This is a fantastic wine and I am glad I have a couple of bottles on order for my cellar. (Thank you jamietown) Service was excellent, friendly and very discrete. They kept us plied with the wonderful breads (the warm sourdough rolls were excellent) and our waterglasses full. We were never rushed and never had to wait. less

My son decided he wanted to go to Citronelle for his birthday so I made the reservation and started saving up. Dinner was, in a word, WOW. The dining room is elegant and rich, with sparkling glasses on the table and comfortable chairs (thank goodnes ... more

My son decided he wanted to go to Citronelle for his birthday so I made the reservation and started saving up. Dinner was, in a word, WOW. The dining room is elegant and rich, with sparkling glasses on the table and comfortable chairs (thank goodness). We were placed on one of the higher levels with an excellent view right into the kitchen. After starting with an Amuse Boche that I can't start to describe other than to say it was wonderful, for my first course I had the lobster "Begula Pasta." The presentation of the Begula Pasta is something to see. The dish, served in a 'caviar' tin, is pearl pasta cooked with squid ink under which is hidden a poached egg, toasted brioche, hollandaise, and lobster meat. Everyone agreed it was out of this world. My son had the Mosaic "surf and turf" carpachio. Thin, vibrantly colored glass-like circles of fish, vegetable, and meats are artistically arranged on a plate (he really liked the eel and the venison). Drizzled with a basil infused oil with capers, bits of orange, it was a work of art that was even more delicious to the tongue than the eye. My wife had the diver scallops, with cauliflower couscous and egg porcupine. They literally melted in your mouth. Entrees were the colorado rack of lamb with soft polenta, sunchoke endamame, and garlic herb sauce for my son. The lamb was perfectly cooked medium rare, and the bone literally slid out of the meat. He was in heaven. I had the venison, slices of perfectly medium-rare loin with freshly cracked blacked pepper were served with chestnut risotto, absolutely wonderful tiny (really tiny) brussels sprouts, and a celeriac-red wine (syrah) sauce. Every bite was a joy. But my wife had the dish of the night. Sablefish with a leek brandade and potato gratin. It was so rich and flavorful that you had to put down your fork after every bite to savor it. It literally melted in your mouth with a burst of flavor that was almost orgasmic. Dessert was a wonderful orange souffle for my wife, served with a rich, buttery caramal sauce with a side of whipped cream, spiced grapefruit, and something else that she did not let me taste. My son had the Chocolate Mushroom Vacherin, a whimsical mushroom treat I can't even begin to understand how it was made, but it was huge, full of chocolate and he loved it. I had the Breakfast at Citronelle and I wish I had a camera. The dessert is composed of a cappuccino, home fries, toasted brioche with butter, bacon strips, and an egg sunny side up. The presentation is truly a work of art and each item makes you stop and think. The home fries are cubes of apples with raspberry sauce and the toast is pound cake with a small scoop of ice cream as the butter. The egg was flavored cream cheese with an apricot puree yolk, and the bacon strips of crispy pastry. Coffee for my wife and I, and tea for my son ended the meal. I also must thank Mark Slater (the sommelier) for a wonderful evening. He is nothing short of the cosumate professional. We know each other from DonRockwell.com, and it was fun to finally meet him in person. He paired the wines with our meal perfectly. After confirming what my tastes were, he recommended several Burgandys in several price ranges. At his recommendation we ordered a 2000 Domaine du Château Chorey Beaune Les Teurons 1er Cru to start the meal. My wife raised her eyebrows a bit when I ordered a Burgandy (she knows I really love the big RRV type Pinot Noirs) but she loved the wine. When the entrees were ready to arrive, I asked him for something to pair with the lamb and venison. Again, a short discussion about tastes, and I let my son choose whether he wanted a French Syrah or an Aussie Shiraz. Once he said he wanted something from "down under" Mark recommended a 2002 Torbreck "The Steading" and once again, was dead on. What a wonderful blend of Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. Medium-bodied, surprisingly restrained and in perfect balance. Flavorful and delicious with flavors of crushed herbs, licorice, black raspberry and other black fruits. My son loved it and even my wife, who usually does not like Aussie wines loved it. And Mark's stories were sidespliting. He also made sure the service we received was first rate. I have to say a big thank you so much Mark, he made the birthday dinner special. A three course dinner is $85 a person with an upcharge for the lamb ($10) and the Breakfast at Citronelle ($5). The service was out of this world, inobtrusive, efficient, and always friendly. Warm bread (made by BreadLine here in DC) was always replaced, water glasses were always full, and while never rushed, when you finished, the plate disappeared. All in all, a first class experience all the way around. The food, the wine, the service, the restaurant, all Premier Crü. less

I've been to Palena two times recently with the DC Crü a local wine group. The first time I started with the carpaccio, beautifuly presented and so tender and flavorful that you almost had to scoop it with the fork. The chestnut ravioli with lo ... more

I've been to Palena two times recently with the DC Crü a local wine group. The first time I started with the carpaccio, beautifuly presented and so tender and flavorful that you almost had to scoop it with the fork. The chestnut ravioli with lobster was a killer, absolutely fantastic. Light and so flavorful that I was relentless in getting the last of the sauce on my fork. The lamb two ways was to die for and the warm apple tart with caramel ice cream was the perfect ending. One of the others had the napoleon and was nice enough to give me a taste. What a light and wonderful rendering. The most recent visit was a couple of weeks ago. The meal was excellent, as expected. I started with the Terrine of Sonoma Foie Gras, Organic Chicken, Truffle, and Pistachio. A healthy portion, it was served with wild rice and farro salad and a toasted brioche. Next for me was Crispy Skin Chatham Cod with Hawaian sweet potato, button mushroom and tarragon vinegar sauce. It was wonderful. The skin crispy but the flesh of the cod perfectly cooked. The third course for me was the Grilled Muscovy Duck Breast. The sauce of prunes and armagnac set it off perfectly. Wonderfully cooked medium rard, it was a joy to eat. We followed with the cheese plate, all excellent and served with piping hot fruity dark bread. For dessert I had the pear tart. It was the perfect ending to the meal. I won't describe the wines we brought, but Palena permits corkage at $20 a bottle. less

Aside from the copy of Tom Sistema's Washington Post review above, I would add that they have expanded and no longer just have the 10 stools for seating. They also now serve beer. The food is still great, the wings just as wonderful as before, an ... more

Aside from the copy of Tom Sistema's Washington Post review above, I would add that they have expanded and no longer just have the 10 stools for seating. They also now serve beer. The food is still great, the wings just as wonderful as before, and the soul rolls killers. If you are in the mood for something lighter, have a salad and ask them to put some brisket or pulled pork on it. Great folks, lots of fun, and great food. less

One of our favorite meals while in Portland was at Cinque Terre (right across from Street and Co) on Wharf Street. We had the 6 course tasting menu for $55. It started with oysters two ways (a Darmisgrotta raw and a Prince Edward Island fried) then c ... more

One of our favorite meals while in Portland was at Cinque Terre (right across from Street and Co) on Wharf Street. We had the 6 course tasting menu for $55. It started with oysters two ways (a Darmisgrotta raw and a Prince Edward Island fried) then crab and fresh peas risotto with white truffel oil. Next was the lobster tail with bread crumbs and basil oil. It was followed by a perfectly cooked hanger steak with chantrelle mushrooms. The next course was cheese, pecorina and toma with peanut jelly and an italian baggette. Last was the dessert, lemon grappa panna cotta and maple gelato with biscotta. Service was exceptional and the wine list, while all and only Italian wine, was very reasonably priced, very long, and very representative of Italy. They also had a nice selection by the glass. I had a bottle of the 2000 Antinori Toscana Tignanello which was exceptionally well priced at $100. less